FAQs

Entry Process and Requirements

What are the steps for submitting an entry

1) Sign up for a free membership profile; 2) Once you’re a member, log in with your username and password, and you will be directed to the submissions page; 3) fill in the required information and upload your submission; 4) proceed to payment.

What information do I need to provide to submit my work?

For professional submissions you need to provide the following information:

Do I need to be studying design in order to qualify for the “student” category and entry fees?

Anyone who is a student of any kind can enter work under the student category and get the reduced submissions fee—regardless of whether you are a full-time or part-time student, or what you are studying. Please keep in mind that if you submit in the student category, your work will be evaluated among other students.

Do I need to pay the submission fee before I can submit my work?

Submission fees are the last step in processing your payment. Please create your entry and make sure it is finalized before submitting your payment.

What are the requirements for the supporting images and documents?

Up to 10 supporting images can be submitted with each design. Images must not exceed 2MB per file and be no more than 1000 pixels on the longest side. Images must be saved as JPEGs (.jpg, .jpeg) or PNGs (.png). Please only use letters and numbers in the title of the image.
You can also submit one PDF file, in A4 or Letter-sized format. The PDF must not exceed 2MB.
You can utilize the images and PDF however you think best represents your work.

Can I cancel my submission and get a refund?

You can withdraw your entry within 48 hours of submission. Please email support@productdesignaward.eu for assistance and additional information. Please be informed that when you request a full refund, your original transaction fee is credited back to you minus a processing fee.

Can I make changes to my entry after I have paid?

You will not be able to edit your submission after payment has been made. For this reason, please review your work carefully and make sure that the entries are submitted correctly before finalizing payment.

What shall I do if I have trouble uploading my images?

First, check that the image does not exceed the maximum size of 2MB, that it is the right format (JPG) and that the file name contains only letters or numbers. Once you’ve checked that these things are in order, try to upload your images again. If you’re still having trouble after this, contact our support staff at support@productdesignaward.eu

How will I know if you have received my entry?

You should receive a confirmation email from us shortly after you submit and pay for your work. If you do not receive an email, please verify that your email is correct in our records by logging into the Member Section and selecting “Edit Profile.” In addition, if you are using spam-blocking software, please add “productdesignaward.eu” to your list of approved recipients. If, after doing both of these things, you do not receive an email, please log into the Member Section, and click on “Entry History” to view your submission status and make sure that all your entries have been paid for.

How will I know if my submission is complete, and what do I do if it’s not?

You may check on your entry status at any time by logging into the Member Section with your user name and password, and clicking on “Entry History”. NOTE: If a submission is incomplete when the window for submissions has closed (i.e. the submission fee has not been paid, or the images have not been uploaded correctly), the submission will not be eligible for juried consideration. Though we make every effort to make contact and to ensure completion of submissions, we are not responsible for incomplete entries and are unable to offer a refund should an entry be incomplete once the submissions window is closed.

What is the “Entry History” feature of the Member Section and how do I use it?

The Entry History feature allows you to view the status of your submissions, to verify that images have been uploaded correctly, to print receipts, and to make payments.

Do I have to be based in Europe to participate?

You don’t have to be working in Europe to participate in the competition. The ePDA is open to designers from all over the world.

Does my product have to be designed or built in Europe?

No, the design doesn’t have to be created or built in Europe to participate in the competition. ePDA is open to projects from all over the world.

Can I submit a design that has won an award or has been entered in a previous European Product Design Awards competition?

Yes, you may submit work that has been submitted or that has won an award in a previous competition. However, in an effort to promote the creation of new work and the fresh flow of ideas, we encourage you to submit new work as much as possible.

Categories and Submission

Can I enter one design into multiple categories?

You may enter the same design into as many categories as you see fit. In fact, doing so may increase your chances of winning. However, there is an additional fee for each additional category you enter.

Is there a limit to the number of entries I can submit?

No, you may submit as many entries as you wish, and if you submit multiple entries at the same time, you will receive a special reduction in the submissions fee for the additional entries.

Can a collection of designs be submitted together, or should I submit each design separately?

The jury will select the winners in each category based on individual designs and projects, not on an entire body of work, so each design or project should be submitted as a separate entry.

Does my project need to be completed to be submitted?

We accept both completed, in progress, and conceptual projects. Finished projects must be completed within the past five years.

Do I have to be a designer to participate?

No, the ePDA welcomes creative thinkers from around the world to participate. You don’t have to be a designer to submit your product. Creative and innovative thinkers can also submit a design and projects for consideration.

Do I have to provide plans or can I just submit photographs?

You are not required to submit your drawings or plans. However we encourage participants to submit as much information as possible for a better representation of your project. We understand that every project is unique, therefore, you have the freedom to submit any information that you think is suitable. We encourage you to provide a plan of at least one section. This is to ensure our jury will have enough information for project evaluation.

Is there an “age-limit” on projects or designs that I submit, or a limit on how long ago a design or project was completed?

Projects or designs must have been completed no more than 5 years from the time of submission in order to be eligible.

Can I send a sample of my product to the competition? If so, will it be returned to me?

It is not required that you send the actual sample of your product to the competition. Images and a description of the product are sufficient. If you still wish to send a sample, you may do so. The products will not be returned.

How will my images be used?

Your images will only be used for purposes of promotion of this European Product Design Award. Through our global reach your image will be viewed with your credit all around the world. All participating designers thus far have been extremely happy with the manner in which their images have been used and promoted globally.

Will I be compensated for the use of my images?

There is no monetary remuneration for the use of your image. Please make sure you have the full copyright before entering any images.
Payment

Can I make changes to my entry after I have paid?

No, after payment has been made, entries cannot be altered. Please review your work carefully before finalizing payment.

How can I pay for the entry that I submitted?

You can pay for your submission online via PayPal or credit card.

Are all the fees in USD?

Yes, at this time we only accept US currency.

Judging

Who are the Judges?

Our international list of jurors consists of a wide variety of design professionals and educators who are devoted to design.

How does the Judging Work?

Can I Receive Judges Rating or Comments?

Due to the overwhelming scope of the competition, our judges are unable to provide individual feedback on projects.
Awards

Will I be notified if I’ve won an award?

We do notify award winners by email, but it does sometimes happen that notifications get caught in server filters so it’s possible that you may not receive the email notification. Fortunately, you can always check to see if you’ve won any awards by logging into the Member Section and clicking on Winner Services.

Do the category winners receive an award or certificate at the Awards reception?

The Trophy will be given to the winners of the European Product Designer of the Year™ and the Discovery of the Year Award (student).

All other Winners will receive certificates that can be printed by going to your Members Page/Winner’s Services, as well as a downloadable logo and press release. All the gold/silver/bronze winning designs will also be featured in the annual ePDA Book of Design. Additional benefits are:

• a press campaign directed to hundreds of thousands of design professionals, press, and potential clients worldwide,
• a profile in the ePDA online design directory, making it easier for you to be reached by prospective customers,
• the ePDA Certificate of Achievement,
• the ePDA Winners Seal to promote winning online and in printed material.

If I win an award, will I be eligible to receive a free copy of the Book?

The Book is made available for purchase online and no free copies are sent to winners. The cost of the book is primarily to cover the cost of printing and shipping and is not a profit-making endeavor. Also, there are hundreds of designers and companies featured in the book each year, so it would not be feasible to make it available free of charge.